Treasury Probes Claims of Racial Discrimination at U.S. Mint

The Treasury Department said it has opened an investigation into allegations of racial harassment and discrimination raised by Black employees at the U.S. Mint, the government entity responsible for circulating coins in the country.

A group of Black employees at the Mint wrote a letter in June asking Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to intervene and address what they say is “rampant racism” at the bureau, according to the letter, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

In the letter and meetings with Treasury officials, the Black employees said that there was a lack of diversity in the Mint’s executive ranks, that Black workers were treated unfairly by the legal department—which they noted consisted of only white attorneys—and that Mint leaders often sought to find out who was making a complaint rather than investigating the contents.